The Blog of Joe Hayden, Realtor - Homes for Sale in Louisville, KY

Louisville's Actor's Theatre - A True Community Gem

Posted By on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:22:00 AM | Comment on This Post

Can I drop a few names on you? Names like Beth Henley, Naomi Wallace, Arthur Kopit, Tony Kushner, Horton Foote and Marsha Norman?

These major playwrights have all had plays which premiered at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, through the famous Humana Festival of New American Plays.

Actors is a Tony-award-winning theater organization that enjoys deep ongoing support for its year-round calendar of productions. Actor's Theare stages more than 500 performances of 20 productions in a year. Productions vary from contemporary to classics – and classical – fare; from full, multi-act set pieces to 10-minute plays.

For example, the coming season will include performances of “The Kite Runner,” Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” holiday favorites “Dracula” and “A Christmas Story,” and of course, a raft of new plays with the Humana Festival.

The comedy troupe Second City also will visit for a month, to perform a Louisville-centric show.

Talent also flows out from Louisville as well. Most recently Actors announced that its Associate Artistic Director, Sean Daniels, has been tapped to direct a fall Broadway-aimed play, ‘Under My Skin,” which is based the life of “The Nanny” television sitcom star Fran Dreschner.

He will be working for show backers Marcy Carsey, the television producer behind “The Cosby Show” and “Roseanne;” Tony Award nominee Jeff Davis of "Rock of Ages", and Tony winner Steve Traxler of "Hair.”

Actors Theatre enjoys one of the largest per capita subscription audiences in the U.S. More than 200,000 people attend performances at the theater’s historic Main Street complex. The organization also has deep roots in the community, offering internships, educational programs, workshops, artists in schools programs and other outreach efforts.

There’s much more information about this 40-plus year old organization at its website, Actor's Theatre. It’s definitely worth a visit!

Actor's Theatre of Louisville is one more reason to consider a move to the area. Please visit Real Estate Louisville, KY to learn about buying a home in the area.

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The Dude Abides, Annually

Posted By on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:55:00 AM | Comment on This Post

Do you know The Dude? He of the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski”?

Once a year, usually in the summer, he is feted in Louisville with some white Russians, a bowling tournament, and of course, a special showing of the movie. There’s also music, a gathering of Achievers, and generally a lot of fun celebrating the cult classic movie.

The Louisville Lebowski Fest is nine years old and growing. It has spawned other Lebowski fests in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle – even one in the U.K.!

But the Louisville one is the original – and, we think, the best. It was inspired by conversations at a tattoo expo, where bored exhibitors began tossing out lines from the movie during a slow afternoon. From there, they naturally thought: Why not throw a huge party in Louisville related to the movie?

The fest is centered at the Executive Strike and Spare, which is near a lot of Louisville airport hotels. Along with the bowling and the movie, there are serious costume and trivia contests. Some pretty good Dudes, Walters, Nihilists, and Maudes are usually on hand to liven up things.

The Dude himself – Jeff Bridges – visited the fest in 2008. He has since gone on to visit a Los Angeles Lebowski Fest, and win an Oscar for another movie, “Crazy Heart.” He has said in interviews he loves the movie. (He is, of COURSE, referring to “The Big Lebowski.”)

Fans help promote the festival by posting photos of themselves holding signs in the “John 3:16”style. This year, they’re holding “Lebowski 7:17” signs, to reflect this year’s July 16 & 17 dates.

Future festival dates and locations are here: LebowskiFest.

And yes, that rug really tied the room together.

If you are considering a move to the Louisville area to be closer to the home of the LebowskiFest, please check out Louisville, KY Real Estate.

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Downs After Dark Proving to be a Local Hit

Posted By on Monday, July 12, 2010 7:25:00 AM | Comment on This Post

It’s different in the dark.

It’s been a big party scene at Churchill Downs this year during the track’s new “Downs after Dark” events. People danced in the paddock, competed in “Bet or No Bet” games, and generally let their hair down for a $10 admission at the track.

Churchill Downs added permanent lights this year to fuel a party atmosphere during the last four Fridays of the 2010 Spring Meet. Typically that made it the place to be for 25,000 to 30,000 people on those nights.

While the horse racing and betting continued, doing it at night upped most folks’ sense of fun and relaxation. To be sure, any racing day that’s not Derby, Oaks or Breeder’s Cup is a more relaxed time, but going during the day means you may be as relaxed only as much as business casual allows. Downs after Dark is a whole ‘nother state of patronage altogether.

The track designed each night around a theme. The first one was dubbed “Disco at the Downs” and urged guests to come decked out in their favorite disco-era clothing. People raided thrift shops and got it on like it was 1979: Polyester three-piece suits, catsuits, maxi dresses, bellbottoms, spandex – you definitely needed some shades and not because of the lights!

More recently, for Independence Day weekend, the track adopted an Americana theme with its “Boots, Brew & BBQ” night. Boot-scooters were welcome to boogie around a beer garden and street party at the track as country music ruled the day.

More nights are planned with the Fall Meet, starting with Halloween. And if you have to miss them all this year, don’t worry. It’s proved popular – and will be back next year!

For information regarding Louisville, KY Real Estate, please follow the link provided.

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Forecastle Festival

Posted By on Monday, July 12, 2010 7:13:00 AM | Comment on This Post

The Forecastle festival, one of the nation’s top outdoor summer music festivals, returned to Louisville this month, bringing a crowd of 30,000 music fans and activists to our Waterfront Park.

Smashing Pumpkins, the Flaming Lips, Widespread Panic, Devo, Spoon and Zooey Deschanel’s She and Him were among the more than 100 acts performing at the 9^th Annual Forecastle Festival.

Founder JK McKnight took the name Forecastle out of his fondness for things nautical, and specifically because one meaning of forecastle can be “a place where people come together.” Now the three-day Forecastle brings together “the progressive Midwest” for a “symposium for musicians, artists, and environmentalists,” according to the festival website. They come from throughout the region – from Chicago and St. Louis, from Nashville and Lexington, and many cities in-between.

It’s a total atmosphere. There are exhibits from environmental activist and community non-profit groups. Organic food to sample. A Green marketplace. Rides on the historic Belle of Louisville. And oh yes – parties. Veteran festival-goers get their weekend set up on Facebook.

The festival starts Friday night at 4 p.m. and parties until 1 a.m., then Saturday and Sunday revs up again at noon and runs until midnight or shortly thereafter. Prices for the three days are pretty reasonable too, considering how much entertainment the festival offers. A three-day VIP pass gets you up front (with access to air conditioning and massage tables!) for $300, while an addition three-day camping pass at a nearby riverfront park (American Turners) costs another $150. We’ve seen some one-night concerts cost WAY more than that per hour!

As with any music festival, Forecastle also sells stuff – t-shirts, posters, bumper stickers, coffee mugs and golf shirts (!) – and the Monty Python-esque artwork’s not bad, either!

If you are considering buying a home in the Louisville, KY area, please search for Real Estate in Louisville, KY at the link provided.

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Home Staging Tips to Help Sell Your Louisville, KY Home

Posted By on Monday, May 03, 2010 9:43:00 AM | Comment on This Post

Did you know everyday clutter, bright paint colors and mix matched out-dated furniture could be the main reason buyers aren’t giving your home a second look? If you are thinking of putting your home on the market or you currently have your home listed with a Realtor, Home Staging can make the difference between a showing and a sale. Staging your home to sell helps to ensure that when buyers enter your home they like what they see. It helps them envision themselves and their furnishings living in the space. There are many things you can easily do to make sure your home doesn’t fall into the “what were they thinking” category.

#1: Paint Colors – Be sure you have neutral paint colors throughout. (Don’t leave that one lime green bedroom because you think it won’t matter, it does).

#2: De-Clutter – Be sure to de-clutter all surfaces including countertops in Kitchen and Bath as well as dressers in bedrooms. Be sure to clean out all closets. Rent a storage unit if necessary. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to see the floor entirely inside every closet. This helps buyers to visualize the size of the closet. Don’t be fooled, they will look in there. We are all looking for ample closet space!

#3: Furniture Layout – Your furniture should be set up in the most ideal way to show off your square footage. Sofas and other chairs should be centered on focal points in the room such as a fireplace or TV. Remove extra furniture so rooms are not too over-crowded. This will help buyers see the size of your room and visualize if their furniture will fit in it. It is also a trick to make your rooms look larger! Even if you don’t live this way on a regular basis, your home should be set up the way people expect to see it. Each room should be designated for a specific function. If you have your dining room set up as an office, you need to change it back to a dining room. You can look into borrowing items from friends or family members or possibly rent pieces as needed from local rental shops.

#4: Curb Appeal – Don’t forget the outside of your house too! Your front entrance or porch makes the first impression on buyers. They will decide within 15 seconds or less whether they want to enter your home or keep driving. Don’t be the one they pass by! Make sure your front door is freshly painted and your house numbers, mailbox and lighting are updated and clean. Add some freshly planted flowers to your porch to show someone who cares about the property currently lives there.

We hope that these tips will set you off in the right direction. If you live in Louisville, KY or the surrounding areas, we would love to assist you. We offer different packages for Home Staging – We give “quick” staging consultations with a written report telling homeowners what changes are most advantageous for them. We will work with you picking paint colors, moving furniture and helping you to decide what should stay and what should go! This can all be done in a 1-2 hour visit depending on the size of your home. We also offer a more comprehensive staging package for homes that are vacant and need furniture rental.

You can contact us at 502-338-8687 or visit our website at J Renee Designs. You can get great inspiration and information about all things Louisville at our blog: Louisville Design Blog.

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Home Inspections

Posted By on Friday, October 02, 2009 8:45:00 AM | Comment on This Post

A professional pre-purchase home inspection can reduce anxiety by screening for problems and itemizing them in a comprehensive report. This home inspection report may include approximations of repair costs and recommendations of useful upgrades to the property systems. The general result of a professional home inspection is that property buyers make significantly more informed purchases.

Screening for Problems: All homes have strong and weak points, they are not always what they seem. Gain the perspective and sound information you need to make better decisions with a home inspection performed by an experienced professional home inspector. A good home inspector works through a very long checklist of potential concerns to identify the major and minor deficiencies in the home. A good report will clearly describe the problems and illustrate them along with the what-to and how-to of repairs.

Provide Owners Benefits: Home owners who are planning to make improvements to their homes in order to increase its market value would be well advised to have it inspected first. A home inspector can help prioritize home improvements and offer advice on the best ways to approach repairs. More importantly, an inspector can help the seller identify potential or undiscovered problems before those problems become material for contract contingencies. By taking a pro-active approach one can avoid the frustrations many owners encounter when they are asked to re-negotiate their contracts because of unanticipated problem areas.

Credentials: Like any other professional, home inspectors have varied degrees of expertise. All home inspectors should be licensed and carefully screened. Additionally, home inspectors learn from experience. It takes a few thousand inspections and a more than a few complaints for a home inspector to LEARN what it takes to satisfy clients.

This post courtesy of Michael Del Greco of Accurate Inspections in New Jersey. Please see this list of home inspectors in Louisville, KY.

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Jefferson County, KY Schools

Posted By on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 8:48:00 AM | Comment on This Post

One important topic for prospective homebuyers is where their children will attend school in Louisville, KY. Jefferson County Public Schools serve the Louisville, KY area, and there are numerous private school options also available for prosepctive students. In addition, you can find find information on test scores and reporting for Jefferson County schools, plus information and statistics on schools in the local area.

Depending on grade level, the Jefferson County Public School System (JCPS) is broken up into clusters that each contain a number of schools called “reside schools”. There are six elementary school clusters, each with 10 to 12 schools. You also have the option to attend another school in your cluster. For high school, students may attend any high school in the district, depending on busing requirements. In addition, at all levels there are magnet schools that provide a specialized learning environment or focus on a specific academic area. A magnet career academy is a type of high school that lets students focus on training for a specific career. For instance, Southern High School Magnet Career Academy lets students focus on transportation technology. JCPS offers more than a dozen magnet career academies.

Recent accolades for Jefferson County schools include Four schools on the U.S. News and World Report 2008 list of America’s Best High Schools and three schools included on Newsweek magazine’s 2007 list of Best American High Schools.

There are also many options when it comes to private schools. Most of them affiliate with a different religious doctrine and include Christian Academy, Louisville Collegiate, Trinity High School, St. Xavier High School, Kentucky Country Day among many others.

Louisville, KY offers numerous options when it comes to education whether in the public or private sector.

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Jeffersontown, KY

Posted By on Thursday, August 20, 2009 12:03:00 AM | Comment on This Post

“Small Town Values… Enterprising Spirit,” Jeffersontown, KY's motto embodies the spirit of this town. Jeffersontown is also commonly referred to as J-town. While being the largest of Louisville's incorporated areas, it has been able to keep its small town feeling and friendly atmosphere. The population of Jeffersontown in July 2008 was 26,226 with an average detached home price of $198,835 and the 2008 cost of living index in Jeffersontown was 86.7 (compared to 100 as the US average).

The current real estate market in Jeffersontown actually benefits both prospective buyers and sellers. Buyers benefit from the large selection of prices, neighborhoods and styles, while sellers can benefit from the sustained appreciation of Jeffersontown, KY homes. Jeffersontown is also host to the Gaslight Festival in September of each year. The Gaslight Festival is a series of events spread over a week with something for everyone. Attendance is approximately 200,000 for the week.

J-town’s outstanding location has attracted a wealth of business and industry. Industry can take advantage of a location that makes travel and transport easy; Jeffersontown is only 15 minutes from both the Louisville International Airport and downtown Louisville. City leadership is progressive and pro-business, with a strong partnership between the Jeffersontown Economic Development Authority and The Chamber, Jeffersontown is working to foster growth and economic vitality for the city.
Jeffersontown is home to Bluegrass Industrial Park. Bluegrass is home to almost 900 companies and in close proximity to the amenities mentioned above. The City of Jeffersontown has an enticing benefits package for businesses choosing to expand or relocate in the Park including property tax abatement and tax credits among others. Jeffersontown is also the home of Papa John's headquarters, as well.

With a small town feel and great incentives for businesses, Jeffersontown offers the perfect compliment for those families looking for a quiet atmosphere and close proximity to industrial and retail businesses.

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Luxury Homes for Sale Louisville, KY

Posted By on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 11:58:00 AM | Comment on This Post

Are you interested in buying a luxury home in Louisville, KY? Throughout the Louisville, KY area you will find luxury homes in neighborhoods and subdivisions, in addition to finding the homes in unique locations without subdivision restrictions. Louisville boasts of a large number of historically and architecturally significant luxury homes, as well as modern architectural masterpieces complete with the latest in luxury amenities.

Buying a luxury home is similar to buying any other home, but typically you will find more complex mechanical and structural systems in the home. This means that you will need a thorough home inspection by a very competent inspector who understands these systems and can verify their proper operation.

In addition, luxury homes tend to be custom built for a specific owner so you may find features that may not be to your tastes. This can especially be true of the paint colors and the wall covering selection. You may need to consider having a portion, or all, of the home painted and the wallpaper removed or added to fit your needs. This can be a point of negotiation that you should consider when buying a luxury home.

Buying a luxury home in Louisville, KY is an exciting experience. The variety of architectural styles, plus the abundance of high-quality amenities make luxury homes distinct and desirable. Contact me if you have any quesitons about luxury homes in Louisville, KY.

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What is an Easement?

Posted By on Monday, July 13, 2009 11:48:00 AM | Comment on This Post

What is an Easement? An easement is a right to use land for a particular purpose, granted by the land owner. There are two basic types of easments - appurtenant easement and an easement in gross.

An appurtenant easement is annexed (attached) to the ownership of one parcel of land and is used for its benefit on the land of another. The definition of an appurtenant easement in layman's terms is having the rights to use a neighbor's land for a specific purpose. These rights stay with the property that is using them. For example, if a buyer purchased land that did not have access to a public road, that land would require an appurtenant easement on the land of the buyer's neighbor to reach the road. This is specifically called an “Easement by Necessity” because it is necessary for the owner of that land to have access to their property. The key to an appurtenant easement is that the two parcels of land must be adjoining.

The definition of an easement in gross is an interest or a right to use someone else’s land. While this sounds like the same as an appurtenant easement, and easement in gross does not have to be with an adjoining property. The most common type of an easement in gross is a commercial easement in gross. This occurs when a utility company, for example, installs power lines on a land owner's property. The power company with an easement in gross has an interest (or right) to the land that their poles are installed upon.

Another key difference between an appurtenant easement and an easement in gross is that an appurtenant easement is said to “run with the land” which means it cannot be assigned to anyone else, but stays with the rights of the property that the easement is attached to. An easement in gross typically terminates upon the death of the easement owner.

When buying a home it is very important to be aware of any easments that may affect your rights to the property you are intending to purchase. It is possible that you may be restricted from modifying certain parts of the property because there is an easement in force on the property. Always reasearch the property's bundle of rights and discover if easements are in force when you buy a home.

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